Chapter 113

Chapter 113

Translator: Yonnee

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As I woke up from slumber, I realized that there’s something weighing down on me.

I blinked and barely managed to raise my head, and there, I found Blanc sitting on my chest, sobbing.

“Hu-aaang… Roséeee… You’re awaaaaake…”

Even when Albert and I got sick, I don’t think Blanc ever cried this much. I reached up to comfort Blanc by patting his head.

“Shh, I’m fine. I’m fine, Blanc. Don’t cry now.”

“I, I…”

Even though he could see that my eyes were wide open now, Blanc couldn’t stop crying.

I had a hunch on what this was about.

I wasn’t the only one who had a nightmare.

You, too, experienced one.

Alexander also gave Blanc a chance to see his fears and confront them.

He did a really good job as a sunbae in life. I patted Blanc on the back and asked.

“Blanc, what did you see in your nightmare?”

“I died, and…”

Blanc’s fear was not anymore just his own death.

“I-In my dream, Rosé… you don’t remember me… and you said you don’t need a dragon fledgling like me anymore…”

His fear was that he’d be completely forgotten.

I wiped away all the tears that left Blanc’s eyes.

“Blanc, let me be your contractor.”

“Buuut—”

“You know what I realized? That compared to the pain I’ll suffer, I was more afraid of losing you.”

I told Blanc about the dream that I had. His pupils shook.

I don’t want to lose anyone precious to me. But I also don’t want to die.

There’s one reason why Albert was trying to stop me from becoming Blanc’s contractor—and that’s because he thinks that I’ll die.

I don’t want to lose Blanc, and I didn’t want to hurt Albert. I knew fully well just how traumatic that was going to be.

But when there is life, there is hope.

Right after my parents passed away, it felt as though the entire world was collapsing in on itself. But I lived. I continued living. Throughout all this, I found a different meaning to life and I learned how to smile again.

Even when I was a corporate slave, even when I first fell into this world and came to possess Rosé’s body, even when it felt like everything around me was dark. I continued to find a way to live.

It was the same this time, too. I just had to find a way.

To endure the ordeals of becoming Blanc’s contractor and to not die in the process.

In all the speculations I had laid out, there was not one premise where I think I’ll die.

Because I can’t bring myself to make the ones I love unhappy.

* * *

I heard that Rosteratu killed Marquis Evnen. It’s only been a few hours since Rosteratu woke up and stormed to the marquis’s residence to slit the guy’s throat.

With his eyes besieged by madness. With his body fuming all over. And with the blood of Marquis Evnen coating him entirely, making him look like a monster.

And now, he was gathering his troops in order to kill Albert.

In the original novel, Rosteratu did nothing until Albert escaped the tower. He was just busy playing around wildly and abusing his power.

Because I met Alexander, the disaster that he left behind had changed. And because of that disaster changing into the form of nightmares, the fates of both Rosteratu and Marquis Evnen shifted as well.

Rosteratu now wanted to kill Albert in cold blood.

Fortunately, Rosteratu was still preoccupied with gathering soldiers and knights right now, so he had yet to break into the tower.

“We need to return to the tower quickly just in case some soldiers come and check inside. I’m glad you woke up before the mages started.”

Liam explained the situation to me and urgently led me down the hallway.

Mercy went ahead to inform Albert about the situation, and it seemed like Liam was going to carry me on his back if I hadn’t woken up before the magic circle was activated.

I followed him down to the basement and stood on top of the magic circle. I held Blanc tightly in my arms.

But something felt off, like something’s missing. With my head tilted to the side, I realized that Schubert wasn’t here.

The owner of this mansion was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Schubert, Your Grace?”

“He was called urgently. Rosteratu summoned all the knights to duty after all. It’s an emergency call, but he’ll be back in about at least two hours.”

Ah, right. He did say he’s part of the knight order.

…Besides that, it came to me that the image of an agile, lithe squirrel really suited him.

I recalled how he went to my side at the last minute because he was worried about me. He must have gotten knocked unconscious too since he was within Alexander’s range.

Since Alexander knew that Schubert was on our side, the blue dragon should have given him the same consideration that was given to me. But still, the fact didn’t change that it was still a nightmare.

“Is he okay?”

Liam’s eyes widened when I asked, surprised that I was worried about Schubert at all. Then, he nodded.

“That guy has always been exposed to horrific things, but…”

Liam trailed off. He stared straight at me. The faint illumination within the darkness cast over his face.

At that moment, his black hair looked like the evening sky and the green pigment of his eyes looked even more green.

“You look quite alright yourself, too. Considering that you just experienced a disaster.”

It was only after Liam said this calmly that I realized this about myself.

“Yes, I’m feeling fine, too.”

“The dragon cub kept crying as soon as he woke up. I thought he’d stop if I brought him to you, but even when you were already together, he still continued crying.”

He glanced at Blanc. Of course, Blanc didn’t look like a dragon to him.

Then, Liam bluntly asked.

“Are you going to be his contractor?”

He must be asking since he’s wondering why Albert let me do this. But I nodded calmly.

“Yes, it seems like it.”

“Even though you suffered in that nightmare?”

“…My nightmare wasn’t about the pain I’d have to go through to become Blanc’s contractor.”

“Then what was it?”

“I was left all alone after I’ve lost all the ones who are precious to me.”

Liam was leaning against a wall right now, but he slightly looked to the side and made direct eye contact.

He looked me dead in the eye.

I mentioned ‘precious ones’ and not just the singular. He noticed that Albert was in the dream I had, too.